Introducing: former FBI agent Joe, who, traumatized by his past and by his work rescuing the victims of human trafficking, is now looking for the missing 13-year-old daughter of a New York State senator.

Is it for you? Only 100 pages long, this is a dark and violent book; rumor has it that it's the 1st in a new series.

Book buzz: Does the guy on the cover look familiar? That's right, it's Joaquin Phoenix, who stars in the award-winning film released in the U.S. in April.

What it's about: Weapons analyst Zac Miller literally falls into a job as a spy when his plane crash lands in Iran, right near a secret nuclear facility. Beat up and tortured by Iranian security for taking photos, he eventually decides to escape, launching a thrilling and dangerous journey to safety.

Series alert: This rip-roaring debut is said to be the 1st of many starring the quick-thinking Zac. Fans of espionage novels will likely hope to see more of him.

Starring: irresponsible Zelda Antipova, who appears to have died in a barn fire, and her distant twin sister Ava, who doesn't really believe it.

What happens: After the fire, Ava starts receiving cryptic messages from Zelda; her scavenger-hunt-like quest to figure out what actually happened is hampered by her alcoholic mother, her estranged father, and her hyper-critical grandmother.

Is it for you? If you like twisted, manipulative games full of red herrings, you'll devour this literary debut.

What it's about: In order to pay for his wife's cancer treatment, John Bodine steals a customer's identity; when the customer finds out, he demands that John play a life-or-death game in which John must commit increasingly criminal acts -- or risk the lives of his loved ones.

Why you might like it: Suspenseful and fast-paced (if at times quite brutal), this unsettling cat-and-mouse game is a good bet for fans of Harlan Coben.

Try this next: Tom Hunt's Killer Choice, which likewise forces a desperate man to make terrible choices to save his wife.

What it's about: Four boarding-school friends, expelled 17 years ago, are brought back together after the discovery of a human bone stirs up the past -- and threatens to unearth their secrets.

Why you might like it: Well-developed characters, an atmospheric British setting, and slow-building tension keep the pages turning.

Where does the game come in? So glad you asked -- these four girls developed an elaborate score-keeping system, all based on how many schoolmates and teachers they could get to believe their outlandish lies.